Masafumi Gotoh starts an NPO
20 July 2024 10:04 UTC+0
Author: tima
The lead singer of Asian Kung-Fu Generation has announced the establishment of an NPO to support musicians.
Yesterday, 19 July 2024, a press conference was held in Fujieda, Shizuoka prefecture, on which the establishment of NPO ‘Apple Vinegar Music Support Organisation’ was announced. The press conference was attended by Masafumi Gotoh (founder and director of the NPO), Ryosuke Kobayashi (representative of the board of directors), Shinichiro Murota (executive director) and Shohei Kitamura (mayor of Fujieda City).
During the press conference, Gotoh took the first word, ‘I have been a member of the band Asian Kung-Fu Generation for 20 years since our major debut, and I have felt the changes in the music production scene. As the way music is listened to has shifted from CDs to digital distribution, I felt that the budget for music production has become more limited for musicians and bands who are independent and not affiliated with a major label. Over the past 10 years, while helping indie musicians with their music production, we started a private music award called “Apple Vinegar –Music Award–” in the hope of supporting young musicians. We established that award and have been giving out prize money, but I wanted to be able to provide more in-depth support, so I started thinking about establishing this NPO. Since the biggest budget requirement for music production is the cost of using the studio, I first wanted to build a studio that musicians could use without worrying about the budget. While providing support and passing on the skills necessary for studio recording, I also wanted to form a community centred around this place. I made it an NPO because I wanted to make all activities transparent. Rather than building my studio, I want to create a place that can become a legacy for Fujieda City, where everyone can share, develop, and move forward together.’
Next to take the stage was Ryosuke Kobayashi, who was Gotoh’s classmate in high school. Kobayashi assisted Gotoh in finding a property with high ceilings and good acoustics that would allow people to ‘record drum sounds with good quality’, and the site was selected for the current construction site. When the NPO was established in Fujieda, Gotoh personally asked Kobayashi, a local resident, to become the representative director.
Gotoh also spoke about his desire to contribute to musicians and artists and the development of music culture from his base in Fujieda City, including running the private music award ‘Apple Vinegar –Music Award–’ that he launched in 2018, producing events aimed at promoting the region and building communities through music, and planning projects to support and nurture young musicians.
The studio was designed and constructed by architect Yusuke Mitsushima, who was also in charge of the stage sets and drawings for Asian Kung-Fu Generation’s 2015 hall tour ‘Tour 2015 Wonder Future’, in which the band performed 30 shows nationwide.
Follow us on Twitter, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook to get news notifications, and join our Discord server for a friendly discussion.
